


Best Laid Plans

by annamariestark



Category: The Arcana (Visual Novel)
Genre: Angst, F/M, Hate Sex, Light Bondage, Smut
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-09-03
Updated: 2019-09-03
Packaged: 2020-10-06 01:29:57
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,515
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20498654
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/annamariestark/pseuds/annamariestark
Summary: Valerius thought he had everything figured out, but he got more than he bargained for.





	Best Laid Plans

Valerius wasn’t sure how things had escalated as they had, but here he was. That damned magician’s apprentice was at the palace doing research for gods-knew-what; she'd been there for weeks. He detested witches. And this girl… what was her name? Kali? She was abhorrent… in a disgustingly attractive sort of way. 

They’d gotten into an argument in the library not long after she’d arrived at the Palace. It had been stupid, really. He’d admonished her for keeping so many books off the shelves. 

_I should have kept my mouth shut._

“Don’t act like a child, clean up your mess. You’re a guest here, for gods’ sakes.”

But then that glint in her eye. Those awful, warm brown eyes, regarding him with utter disdain. Gods, he hated her. 

“Make me,” she said with a smirk. “I don’t remember you being in charge around here.”

He grabbed for her arm, slender fingers digging into her pale skin, other hand on her shoulder, and walked her backwards to pin her against the bookcase. 

“What was that?” He hissed, his face inches from hers, his body pressed against her own. 

“You heard me.” She raised an eyebrow. “What exactly do you think you’re going to do about it?” 

She wasn’t moving, wasn’t pushing him away, and oh gods, he wanted her, wanted to punish her, fuck her, make her scream, for the way she’d spoken to him.

He could feel himself getting hard, and he ground his hips against hers, pleased to hear a whimper escape under her breath. 

“Ah, you like that? Are you a slut as well as a witch?”

“Better than just a slut, Consul,” she returned snidely. “But to each their own. As they say, _you do you._”

With that, he kissed her roughly. She returned the kiss, raking nails over his shoulders. 

_Gods, her lips are soft. _Disgusting, indeed. 

He led her to his bedchambers, but he didn’t have to do much coaxing. She seemed intent on him as he was on her. 

He ripped her clothes away when they reached his room, turning her away from him and bending her over the bed, slapping her ass as hard as he could. He admired the redness that bloomed on her pale, freckled skin.

“I should make you count,” he sneered, slapping her once more.

“As if you could,” she laughed.

Rage flared in him. She thought this was funny. A joke at his expense. Didn’t she know who he was?

He fumbled with his pants, pulling his cock free, _gods, the freedom felt excellent,_ and running the head of it along her slit. She was slick already, her arousal dripping from her, and he moaned low. 

“Well? Don’t tell me you don’t have the courage to fuck a witch,” she said, voice muffled by the sheets. In response, he slammed into her waiting cunt, and she cried out as he buried himself to the hilt, allowing himself only a moment to settle before he began to move.

“You’re lucky that I see fit to use you as my cock sleeve,” he huffed between thrusts. 

“As if you could get anyone better than me.”

“I could have anyone I want.”

“Keep telling yourself that.”

He reached around to her front, rubbing circles on her clit as he continued to fuck her mercilessly. For a while, the only sounds in the room were Kali’s moans. 

_She’s enjoying this far too much. Fine._

“Come for me, you pathetic little slut,” Valerius demanded, digging his fingers into her sides, steadying himself as he got closer to his release.

“Are you talking to yourself?” Kali shot back quickly, earning her another slap. 

“You little bitch, I ought to…” He trailed off as she tightened further still around him, and he closed his eyes, savored the feel of her. He allowed his hands to roam over her ass, down her thighs, as he concentrated on fucking her tight hole.

_Exquisite. Soft. Warm. So wet. Gods, help me._

She gave a strangled cry then as she came, and oh gods, how _delicious_ she felt, clenching around him. A few more messy thrusts and he came undone, pulling out to come on her backside. She clutched at the sheets, gasping for breath.

“Hmm, for a terrible person, you’re not a terrible lay,” she muttered. “So you have that going for you.” 

“Are you always this much of a brat?” He inquired. 

“Wouldn’t you like to know?” She rolled over and stood to face him. “I was minding my own business back in the library, you’re the one who started this. Don’t be an ass if you can’t handle the consequences, Valerius.”

“Clean yourself up,” he commanded, “and get out of my room.”

She did as he said, throwing the rag he handed her back into his face after she’d used it, pulling on her now ragged clothing and sauntering from the room as if he hadn’t just fucked her senseless, as if she’d been in control. 

_She hadn’t, had she? _

\---

A week later, she spilled her tea on him at breakfast. 

“Oops, how careless of me,” she laughed as the warm liquid soaked into his clothing. Her laugh was clear, light and uplifting. 

_Stop it. No it isn’t. _

“Indeed, how clumsy,” he replied curtly. He’d get her for this. Surely she’d done it on purpose. 

“Did it burn you?” 

“Of course not,” he snapped. 

“Goodness, touchy, aren’t we? Do you need someone to kiss and make it better?” 

He saw Nadia raise an eyebrow, giving him a subtly amused expression, but she said nothing. Valerius threw his cutlery and napkin onto the table and stood. 

“Excuse me, Countess, while I go clean up the mess this _witch_ made.” 

He hurried back to his room. His coat was completely soaked, and he cursed the girl under his breath. As he changed and did up the lacing on a different one, his fingers brushed over his clothed cock, and he shuddered. He was hard. How had he not noticed? 

_Damn her completely. _

He thought for a moment about taking care of the problem himself, but his mind wandered to Kali, how tight, how wet she had been when he’d fucked her. How gods damned wonderful it had been to feel her come on his cock.

Anger overtook him again. He couldn’t think of her like this. 

_Only one thing to do, then. I need to get her out of my system._ _I’ll fuck her once more, and then I’m done._

He stormed back to the dining room. Nadia had left, but Kali was still sitting, reading a book. He approached her, clamping a hand down on her shoulder. She squeaked in surprise.

“You’ve been a naughty little whore,” he whispered. He cock twitched as he imagined her once again. 

“Valerius,” she began. He cut her off, dragging her to her feet, spinning her to face him.

“No. You listen to me. You’re going to pay for what you did.”

“Do you want me to buy you a new coat?” She smirked at him. 

“You’re going to sit on my cock.”

“Is that a request or a command?” He swore he heard her mutter “_slut”_ under her breath at the end of the question. 

“_What_ did you call me?!” He glared at her. 

“Oh Consul, you must be hearing things. Should we get you a doctor?” She grinned mischievously.

“You know very well what I _need_,” he snarled. “Go to my room. Do _not_ let anyone see you.” He turned on his heel and walked quickly there himself. 

Two hours later, he lay on his bed, her naked form above his own. She had agreed to sit on him, and he refused to let her move. 

“What a good little cockwarmer,” he glanced up at her from the book he’d been reading. “At least you’re good for something in this life.”

“Projecting our insecurities now, are we?” She quipped. 

He threw the book to the side. How fucking rude could she be? In one swift motion he rolled them both over and began to thrust, roughly, with as much force as he could muster. She writhed beneath him. 

“V- Valerius!” She shouted, and immediately clapped a hand over her mouth. 

“Yes, that’s it, scream for me,” he told her amid the slapping of his hips against her own. “Let everyone in the Palace know whose slut you are.” Her expression changed from lustful to amused.

“Oh please. You don’t own me. You couldn’t _actually_ woo me if you tried.”

_Hmph. She’s far too self-assured. Who does this brat think she is?_

He came quickly, forcefully, his body quaking, his grip on her sides hard enough to leave fingerprint-shaped bruises.

“Just for that remark, you’re not going to come tonight,” he said sharply. 

“That’s fine,” she said, cleaning herself with the edge of his _new silk sheets, godsdamnitall,_ “maybe not by your hand, but I can do the job better myself, anyway.”

“Get out,” he growled. 

“With _pleasure_,” she grinned at him. “You know, someone of your stature should really learn to better control their anger.”

He sat after she left, not having bothered to dress, drowning his thoughts in a bottle of wine. What on the gods’ earth was going on here? He felt drawn to her, more so now than before. His plan hadn’t worked at all. He finished the first bottle and uncorked a second. Surely, the prudent thing to do would be to get _so very drunk_ and forget all about her. 

_If I can. Gods, please let me forget about that little tart. _

\---

He scoured the palace for her the next day. He was still drinking; he’d ceased only to sleep for a few hours. Of course he’d dreamed of her. And oh, how he wished he could forget the images. His nimble fingers undoing her carefully done hair buns, combing her hair out so it fanned on the pillow around her head. Holding her gently, carefully, while she rested her head on his chest.

_It will never happen. I won’t allow it._

He finally found her in the library, hiding in a corner, books stacked around her. He stopped himself before he could ask what she was reading. Why should he care? 

“You,” he slurred. She glanced up. 

“Drunk by noon,” she observed. “Not a good look, Consul.” 

She was right. His braid was ragged, wisps of hair flying out of it, and it hung limply over his shoulder. The clothes he’d managed to get on were wrinkled. He looked a mess. He never let anyone see him at anything less than immaculate, but he was too inebriated to care. 

“We have unfinished business,” he stuttered. 

“Not like this, we don’t.” She stood, brushing some dust from her skirts, and slid past him. He grabbed her wrist and she pulled away. 

“You little…”

“I’m not going to do anything with you if you’re drunk,” she warned, backing away. 

“Why not?”

“Because you may be an ass, but I respect consent, and you can’t give it. Go to bed, sleep it off. Don’t worry,” she flashed him a toothy grin. “I won’t tell anyone about your witch fucking fetish.”

“I… it’s not… what… you…” he stammered. She turned away, leaving him standing there alone, clutching his glass of wine. Had he just been refused? People didn’t refuse him. 

_How dare she,_ he thought for possibly the thousandth time. 

\---

The next morning, Valerius remained in his bedroom, nursing the aftereffects of his poor decisions. A knock sounded on the door and he rose to answer it, rubbing his temples in an attempt to dispel the headache that he’d awoken with. A timid servant stood on the other side, a platter of food and a pitcher nestled on a large tray. 

“Pardon me, Consul, I apologize for the intrusion…”

“I didn’t send for this,” Valerius snapped. 

“No, the magician sent it for you. With a note.”

“What does it say?”

“I was told not to open it.”

“Put the tray on the table and get out,” Valerius barked. When he was sure the servant was gone, he tore the note open. 

_Drink water, you idiot. _

“Idiot?!” He raged aloud, ripping the paper to shreds. “Who does she think she is?” 

To his dismay, however, he found himself doing as she said, eating the food that had been sent for him, drinking glass after glass of water. 

_I’d have done it anyway_, he told himself. _This means nothing_. 

He sent for her later that afternoon. He had laid out a set of ropes on the bed. He answered the door when she knocked, and dragged her into the room by one arm. 

“What’s this?” She smirked at him, but allowed him to strip her down and guide her to the bed. He lashed each limb to a bedpost carefully. 

“Everything fine?” He checked the knots one last time. 

“Yes.”

“Good.” He slipped a hand between her legs, brushing her clit. She whimpered, squirming on the sheets. He held her fast to the mattress, sliding two fingers inside her. 

“Valerius,” she whined. 

“Hmm? Problem, witch?” He hooked his well-practiced fingers, rubbing intently in one particular spot, and she began to moan loudly, pulling at her restraints, bucking into his hand. He held her down tighter. 

“Should have tied your hips down.”

“A pity you haven’t the capacity for forethought, Consul.”

He withdrew his fingers immediately. 

“Do you think you’re funny?”

“I _know_ I’m funny,” she told him. “It’s not my fault you’ve never met a woman who could actually contend with you. Before now, that is.”

He stood, smoothing his clothing. 

“Your insubordination won’t go without punishment,” he hissed. “I think this has been enough, for now. I have a meeting to attend. I trust you’ll think about what you’ve done while I’m gone.”

“You can’t leave me like this.”

“I can and I will,” he replied. He left the room quickly, ignoring her shouts. 

The thought of her slick cunt around his cock carried him through the otherwise absolutely boring meeting. He returned to his chambers to find her out of the ropes, reclining on the bed, drinking a glass of wine. 

“Where did you...?” He ventured, frowning. “How…?”

“You tied up a magician with non-enchanted ropes, what did you expect?” She laughed at him. “And you really should put a lock on your wine closet,” she added with a giggle. “Never know who might come snooping.”

“How dare you.”

“You left me here all alone, I was bored. And thirsty.”

He crossed the room to her, swiping the glass from her hand, taking a sip before pouring a small amount into his hand, smearing it over her breasts. He watched as it dripped down her pale skin. 

_Delectable. _

She leaned back further, clearly inviting him to join her. He set the glass aside and proceeded to remove his clothing before crawling onto the bed, settling over her, his hard length against her thigh. Slowly, he licked the wine from her skin, delighting in the way she shivered as his tongue swept across her nipples. He suckled lightly at one, and she whimpered. 

“I was saving this wine for a special occasion,” he murmured. “How should I punish you for opening it?”

“All this talk of punishment,” she whispered. “Haven’t you figured out by now that’s not going to work on me?”

“Yes, I suppose you’re right,” he admitted with a sigh. “So, what should I do to you then?”

“What do you want to do?” She regarded him quietly, and he stifled a shiver. Her gaze was unwavering, and it made him uncomfortable. There was trust there. Trust, and warmth, and… affection?

_Stop it. _He shook the idea away. She couldn't be attached. There was no way.

“Ass in the air, and I’ll show you.” 

He nipped at her breast, leaving a small pink mark, then moved off of her. She turned onto her belly, presented herself to him exactly as he’d asked, nestling her head onto a soft pillow. He got to his knees and lined his cock up with her entrance, pushing in slowly. 

“You feel…” he breathed. 

_Shut up, Valerius. _

“Hmm?”

“Nothing. Be quiet,” he commanded, grasping her hips tightly, picking up a brutal pace. 

“Always so rough,” she panted. “Don’t you know any other way?” 

“Not that I’d show _you_,” he fired back. 

“You probably don’t even know how,” she returned with that blasted bubbly laugh of hers. 

_Such a pleasing sound. Gods damn it all. _

He slapped her ass, three times in rapid succession. 

“Didn’t I tell you to be quiet?”

“Calm down, witch fucker.” She laughed and reached up to rub circles on her clit while he continued to pound into her relentlessly. 

_Witch fucker. This little bitch… she…_

His thoughts were interrupted as she came, squeezing his cock, milking him, and he followed her over the edge, spilling himself into her. They both collapsed, and he caught himself before he reached to caress her hip. 

_What are you doing?_ He chided himself. Instead, he pushed her away. 

“Get out.”

“What, no cuddles?” She giggled, letting out a small snort, and he _nearly_ broke. She was adorable. 

_She’s an abomination. Get it right_.

“Get. Out.” He got up, picked up her clothes, throwing them at her. She pulled them on and left, glancing back at him once before she slipped out of the room and he was left with his own racing thoughts. 

_What is happening to me?!_

\---

The following day he couldn’t find her anywhere. The next two days, still nothing. A week and a half passed, and he was displeased to admit to himself that he was actually worried. Had he done something wrong? Was she avoiding him? 

_I didn’t mean to get out of the palace altogether… where did she go?_

He found the days were darker without that bright smile, her devastatingly sharp wit. These thoughts in turn inspired long periods of drinking, swirling inklings of self-loathing in the back of his mind. How could he care for a witch? Surely she’d cast some spell on him, that had to have been the case. It was the only reasonable explanation. 

...But she didn’t seem like the sort for that. She was too easy going. She hadn’t seemed to care about the nature of their initial interactions, but that last time, he swore there was something more there. Words, less scathing than her normal fare, just on the tip of her tongue. Words she couldn’t say. 

He just wanted to see her again so he could tell her he never wanted to see her again. Hate fucking was all well and good, but the evolution of his thoughts about her troubled him deeply. He wasn’t so sure anymore that he hated her, and he couldn’t afford to be attached to anyone, certainly not to someone like her. 

How could he say that, though? _Someone like her_? He barely knew her, really. 

_I want to know her more. But instead it seems I pushed her away. Isn’t that what I wanted, though? To get her out of my system? I certainly tried to do just that._

But she wasn’t out. Not by a long shot, and he knew it. 

\---

He dropped into the library every day, hoping to see her there. 

Finally, the day came. She sat on the floor under the large window, sunlight filtering down over her as she read from a large tome. He steeled himself, but before he could approach, a servant boy stopped to talk to her. He watched as they shared an animated conversation together. She laughed, and the lovely sound carried back to where he stood. 

_That boy is flirting with her. _This wouldn’t do. Oh, not at all. He turned and left the library without a word, hoping she hadn’t seen him. 

Even if she had, what did it matter?

It did matter though, and he hated to admit it. He wanted her. He wondered for the hundredth time how it had come to this. 

That evening, he made his way to her room, knocking quietly on the door. She answered, and cocked her head to one side when she saw him standing there. 

“Consul?”

“Let me— er. May I come in?” He quickly corrected himself. Every fiber of his being was screaming at him to stop, but he strode into the bedroom as she stood aside to allow him in. She closed the door, turned to face him. 

“What is this about?” She asked, continuing to watch him with a palpable curiosity. He reached out, tentatively placing his hands on her waist, pulling her closer. She didn’t fight it, and pressed herself to him gently, looping her arms around his slender waist. 

“I…” He didn’t know what to say. He, Valerius, was actually speechless, for the first time in longer than he could remember. He stopped trying to find words, and leaned down, brushing his lips against hers in the softest of kisses. 

“Valerius,” she began, but he cut her off with another kiss, deeper this time. When he broke away, he was fighting to catch his breath, and so was Kali. 

“You have some explaining to do, I think,” she stammered, chest heaving. He reached down to trace the line of her blouse against her skin, and her eyes fluttered shut. His fingers dipped lower, caressing her breast, and she sighed. 

“I don’t know how to explain.” He released his hold on her and wriggled out of her arms, taking her hand, leading her to the bed. She looked confused. 

“Suddenly you have no words? Are you ill?”

“It would certainly explain some things,” he told her quietly, beginning to undo the lacing on her shirt. 

He tugged her garments off slowly, one piece at a time, taking care to run his hands lightly over her skin as each new part was exposed to him. She stood quietly, watching him with that maddening stare. 

_I can’t believe I’m doing this. I can’t believe I… I have feelings for this girl…_

He finished his task and turned his attention to his own clothes. She took it upon herself to lay down, and he tried not to tremble under her gaze. 

“Are you sure you don’t need medical attention, Consul?” She raised an eyebrow. 

He sat down next to her on the bed and reached for her hair, pulling pins from it, setting them aside one by one, until her long chestnut locks were flowing free. He combed her hair out with his fingers, and she sighed contentedly. 

“That feels nice.”

“Does it?” He turned his attention to her breasts, leaning to ghost his warm breath over her skin, teasing one nipple between two fingers as he latched onto the other, licking and sucking gently. 

“Valerius!” She cried out as he nipped the sensitive flesh. 

“Ah. Too much?”

“I wasn’t expecting it, that’s all,” she said breathily. “I really wasn’t expecting— _aah_!” She yelped as he reached down to run two fingers over her clit. 

“I dare say you weren’t expecting that either?” He smirked as he parted her legs, moving down the bed to settle on his stomach between them. 

“What… what are you… oh gods…” He interrupted her words by flicking her clit with the tip of his tongue, then licking a long stripe up her slit. 

_She tastes divine. Why haven’t I done this before?_

Oh wait. He’d been convinced he hated her just weeks prior. Maybe he had. That certainly wasn’t the case now. 

_What an idiot I was. _

He continued to press his tongue over her folds in at a languid pace, dipping into her, giving kitten-licks over her clit. 

“Valerius,” she whined, clutching at the sheets. He answered by sliding two fingers into her soaking cunt. 

“Do you know,” he said matter-of-factly, “how damn good you taste?”

“I…” She squealed as he hooked his fingers, rubbing in just the spot he knew would drive her insane. 

“Now who’s at a loss for words?” He laughed quietly. 

“Leave it to you to play unfairly,” she huffed. “Trying to get the upper hand for once?” 

“For once? You wound me,” he said, stopping his movements. She whined again and bucked her hips. 

“Please, you know you’ve never had it.”

“Perhaps you’re right.” He began anew, and her orgasm came quickly. She begged for him to slow down, to stop, but he continued through her high, pulling a second, and then a third orgasm from her in quick succession. He pulled away then, moving up to press his body against hers, appreciating for once the way their forms seemed to match up so wonderfully. He ground his hard cock against her slick and she whimpered. 

“Oh gods, I’m so sensitive, Valerius, p-please…”

“Do you want me inside you?” He raised up, grasping himself with one hand, aligning his hips with hers, pressing just the tip of his cock into her. 

“Please, please, yes, oh please. Please, more.” She bucked her hips again. He held steady. 

“It’s about time you begged for me.”

“Don’t… don’t get… used to it…” she stuttered. 

He pushed inside her, exceptionally slowly, savoring how completely her warm cunt enveloped him. He couldn’t suppress the low groan that escaped him when he’d settled in to the hilt. 

“Valerius…” she breathed. “Please fuck me. Please, please, just like—”

“Shhh, Kali. Not tonight.” 

_Tonight, I take my time with you. Tonight, you are all mine, in the best sort of way. _

He began to move, slow strokes, drawing out nearly all the way each time before pressing back in. It took all of his restraint not to quicken the pace. He wasn’t used to this. Drawn-out lovemaking was not his forte and he hoped he was doing well for Kali. The way her fingers scrabbled at his hips, her nails raking down his thighs, was telling, at least. She arched her back, pressing up to meet him.

_She certainly seems to be enjoying herself so far. _

“Faster, just a little faster, please, please.”

“Just a bit,” he said firmly. He obliged, but was careful again not to push too fast, too hard. He leaned down, trailing open-mouthed kisses up her jawline and her neck. He was getting close. 

“Come for me, little magician,” he whispered into her ear. 

She did just that, his name tumbling from her lips as her body shook with the force of her release. He lost himself in her, tipping over the edge as he felt her shuddering around him. 

“Godsdammit,” he cursed. “You feel…”

“_You_ feel good.” She snatched the words from him, babbling them through the obvious haze she was under. He pulled out, lying down next to her, gathering her in his arms. She twisted to rest her head on his chest, and he began to run his fingers through her hair once more. 

“What came over you?” She asked him, running her fingertips over his face lightly. 

“You did,” he answered. “I think it’s safe to say, my dear Kali, that you’ve bewitched me.”


End file.
